Although demands for painless deaths are increasing, mercy killings
are still a long way from becoming legal in China, officials and
experts said.
Since the beginning of April when the Netherlands passed the
world’s first bill to allow mercy killings, more and more people in
China have appealed for it to be allowed here.
But no new laws or regulations have been issued to let doctors
carry out mercy killings. And, according to the present Criminal
Law of China, even if a patient has agreed, people who help them
die would have to take criminal responsibility for the death.
However, the debate about euthanasia has become a hot topic in the
country. In Xi’an, capital city of northwest China’s Shaanxi
Province, nine patients who could not bear the pain brought on by
uraemia, a blood disease, jointly appealed to be allowed to die
recently, but no doctor dared help them.
A
survey held by a local newspaper in various districts of Beijing
found about two-thirds of people thought euthanasia should be
allowed.
Since 1992, the National People’s Congress, the country’s top
legislative body, has received a number of motions calling for such
a law every year.
Supporters of euthanasia believe that a painless death not only
stops mental and physical pain suffered by patients, but can also
reduce the mental and economic burdens experienced by
relatives.
Mercy killings could also save the country’s limited medical
resources, according to Hu Yamei, who has handed in motions calling
for an euthanasia law on several occasions.
But the Ministry of Health said the country is not considering
drafting such a law, according to an official from the ministry’s
legislation and supervision department.
The official said that a law must represent the will of the
majority of a country’s population, but it has not been proved that
that is what they want.
Many law experts also take a prudent attitude towards euthanasia.
It is not the right time to approve mercy killings, which is in
conflict with Chinese traditional moral principles and ethics, said
Chen Zexian, a law expert from the Chinese Academy of Social
Sciences.
Many Chinese people regard mercy killings as helping patients
commit suicide.
(China Daily 05/10/2001)